


Better Hold On (The Melodramatic Fools Remix)

by littledust



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: F/F, References to Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-02
Updated: 2013-06-02
Packaged: 2017-12-13 18:46:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/827600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledust/pseuds/littledust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven is seventeen, at Camp Xavier, and convinced that life is never going to be fair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Hold On (The Melodramatic Fools Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pocky_slash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocky_slash/gifts).
  * Inspired by [we were the only ones there](https://archiveofourown.org/works/496597) by [pocky_slash](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocky_slash/pseuds/pocky_slash). 



> Happy slightly belated birthday from your super anonymous author! <3 Title nicked from "Basket Case" by Green Day, a song from pretty much every summer soundtrack I've ever made.

Many things in Raven's life aren't fair. They range from the profound (her entire home situation, proof that money can't buy everything) to the mundane (the nearest convenience store has everyone's favorite flavor of ice cream but hers). Raven has taken to categorizing the world's unfairnesses by feel: happy-looking mothers and daughters shopping together are a scrape over recently scabbed knees; the sight of everyone else enjoying ice cream is an itch reaching from the back of her throat to just below her breastbone.

There's the other thing, too. Raven loves when Charles comes back from Boston but has grown to hate when they leave for camp, because camp means a brother wrapped up in his boyfriend (and also "celebrating mutant diversity" or whatever the full Camp Xavier motto is). Honestly, summer camp has become shorthand for meeting the love of your life: her brother and Erik, the original camp love story; Alex and Armando, even though Alex hasn't seemed to realize two years of making out in person and Skyping long distance mean they're dating; Moira and Fury, the two most scarily competent people Raven has ever met; and Scott and Jean, who are courting in traditional middle school fashion, otherwise known as "standing next to each other awkwardly and sneaking longing glances." Even Sean, who is sweet but a few sandwiches short of a picnic, seems to be hitting it off with the girl ringing them up for the ice cream.

Raven leans against the soda display, arms crossed and scowl fixed in place. If anyone asks what's wrong, she has the ice cream excuse as well as the larger one. She refuses to go pink except during the rare times she craves total anonymity, despite the open staring her blue skin gets. Humans who claim to accept mutants usually prefer the invisible mutations, because God forbid anyone _look_ like a freak. Maybe that's why she can't find true love even at mutant camp; that same attitude plagued her last boyfriend. All he ever wanted was to look normal.

"Something on your mind?" Erik asks with one of his sharp looks. Raven's learned enough of his history in the years since they've met to know why he's so good at reading others' emotional states, in some ways even better than Charles.

"Everything is very dramatic when you're seventeen," says her supposed telepath of a brother, proving her point. "You can't expect them to have your favorite flavor when it changes every year. Strawberry and mint chocolate chip, of course, but banana? Coconut?"

"You forgot," Raven says, and has to swallow tears and shame alike. Tears, because the _entire world_ is resting on every single one of her sore spots, and shame because she doesn't want to be the ridiculous teenager Charles is making her out to be.

_Oh, love, I know it's rhubarb now. I was making a mess of teasing you, I'm afraid._ Charles offers her a spoonful of mint chocolate chip, still _his_ favorite, in apology. Raven accepts the spoon and licks it off, letting its coolness ease some of the ache in her throat. _If you want to talk about what's really bothering you, I'd love to assist any way I can._

Raven helps herself to another spoonful. _Thought you had a big date tonight._

_You know Erik will understand. I'd break up with him on the spot if he didn't._

_Yeah, yeah, he's perfect._

Erik, used to silent conversations between the Xavier siblings, is devouring his ice cream with a singlemindedness Raven can't help but admire. "When you two are done, I think the rest of the group has moved to the parking lot," he informs them. "Armando's friend just got here."

"I'll be okay," Raven says softly, handing over the ice cream. Charles kisses her cheek and she leans against him for a moment. Her brother's love means the world to her, but he's really not the one to reassure her that she's sexy and desirable. He'd probably faint if anyone tried to associate those words with her in his presence.

"As long as you're certain," Charles says, which makes Raven laugh past the aching, past the aftertaste of mint and cream. She's not all that certain of anything right now.

*

The parking lot is full of people: families with their kids, teenagers with their friends, and their own little cluster of mutant camp weirdos gathered around the two cars they used to get here. Technically this little venture is just a camp counselor welcome back ritual, but Scott wanted ice cream and Alex never denies him anything, which meant Jean got to go. Ororo doesn't arrive until tomorrow, otherwise Raven knows she'd have conned Charles and Erik into bringing her. One day they're going to adopt her and get even _more_ married.

It actually feels pleasantly warm out here after the air conditioned chill of the store. Raven manages a smile at the sight of the sunset streaking the sky in oranges and pinks. It's gorgeous out here in a way that's entirely unplanned, unlike the mansion; it's one of the many reasons she and Charles have always preferred camp to their supposed home. _I missed this,_ she thinks, taking Charles's hand.

"Hey!" Armando calls out, sticking up a hand. Next to him is a slender and unfamiliar figure. "You finally made it outside! This is Angel Salvadore, my girl from yoga class. Angel, the tall one is Erik Lehnsherr, and those two are Charles and Raven Xavier. Raven's your assigned partner during the seven-day cross-camp cooperation extravaganza."

For a few panicked seconds, all Raven can do is think, _Oh no, she's hot._ Angel is movie star pretty, all light brown skin and long black hair and deep dark eyes, and then there are her legs in practically _indecent_ denim shorts, and she has these _lips_ \--

"Hi," Raven manages, dropping her brother's hand to execute a stupid little wave. "I promise I don't snore."

Wonderful.

Angel tilts her head to the side with a look of consideration, which is criminally adorable on her. "Are you two married, or...?"

"Brother and sister," Charles says, then gives Erik a besotted smile. "I'm with him." Erik reciprocates with his version of a loving smile, which involves a lot more teeth than most people find comforting. Raven would roll her eyes, but she's distracted by Angel's bright laughter.

"How'd you get roped into the Brotherhood side of camping when you know Armando?" Raven asks, and gives herself a mental pat on the back for managing an actual question. "Not that one camp is better than the other, but you have winners like Summers and Lehnsherr to contend with, so I guess Camp Xavier wins on that alone."

"Moira was the one who got me signed up for Armando's yoga class," Angel replies, turning the brilliance of her smile on Raven. "I was never a summer camp kind of kid, but the way they talk about camp made me want to check out one of the few happy places in the mutant foster care system." Her words come easily, with a frankness that speaks to plenty of experience with said system. Alex nods, obviously already familiar with this piece of Angel's past, and Raven can see Erik leaning in, listening despite himself. That's one bond Raven will never quite understand, and she and Charles look at each other instinctively, touching base.

"I told her that this place is special," Armando says, breaking the brief silence. "Provided you're not afraid of bugs, unlike someone who shall remain nameless."

"I'm _sorry_ I used your biochem textbook to save you from the wasp, okay?" Alex says, throwing up his hands.

Scott stops staring at Jean long enough to ask, "Wouldn't Armando just adapt to the stinger anyway?"

"I hate all of you."

"Oh, yes, mutations!" Angel says, bouncing a little on her heels. She's wearing adorable but horribly impractical for camp sandals. "I know all about Armando, but what can everyone else do? I have these." She gives her shoulders a slight roll, and then actual _wings_ unfold from her skin, iridescent in the fading light, almost fairy-like.

"I'm a telepath," Charles says, smile broad. He loves it when other people find mutation as exciting as he does.

Erik waves a hand and some spare change spins out of his pocket. "Magnetism."

"Plasma beams, both of us," Alex says, clapping Scott on the shoulder. "Summers family tradition."

"Telepathy and telekinesis," Jean says shyly, staring down at her empty cup of ice cream.

At first, Raven wants to do something splashy with her powers, like shift into the President's form. When it's her turn, though, she slips into her old go-to disguise, the girl with the pretty face and the long blonde hair. It feels like a challenge, like she's daring Angel to compliment her false appearance, to tell her how much prettier she looks this way. "I can change my form."

"Nice," Angel says, nodding. "Ever use your powers to buy beer? Not that I would ever condone that."

"Of course not." Raven smirks, sparing a brief moment of thanks that Moira and Fury decided to leave "the kids" after buying their ice cream.

"I never drink," Alex says, shooting Scott a guilty look. "Because I'm underage, and it's the law, and... stuff."

Scott and Armando exchange significant looks, which means Scott has just about aged out of his "my brother is my hero" phase. Or maybe not aged out, since Raven knows how younger siblings work, but now able to mock despite the occasional bout of hero worship.

"We _do_ have to set a good example," Charles says, running a hand through his hair. "Not to sound like a wet blanket."

"Which you are," Raven points out.

"Thank you for that. I only mean that there are a lot of small mutants running about who haven't had much in the way of positive role models. No grievous breaches of camp protocol and getting kicked out, yes?"

"No fun so excessive it's no longer fun," Erik translates. "Don't Moira and Fury and Azazel and the rest cover this in their camp counselor pep talk?"

"Moira sort of left it up to me this year," Charles says. "Glad that's over with. Angel, welcome to the fold. Where on earth is Sean?"

As if on cue, Sean comes charging across the parking lot towards them. " _Guys!_ " he shouts, and then modulates his tone after they all cringe and cover their ears. "Guys, I got this girl's number! Best summer ever!"

Raven looks at Angel and thinks, _Well, maybe._

*

When actual camp kicks into high gear, Raven is too busy to feel sorry for herself and almost too busy to think about the gorgeous girl across the lake. Instead, she's spending all of her time teaching kids how to make friendship bracelets and double dutch and keep them from killing themselves or anyone else. Bobby Drake gets the lecture of his life after he tries to freeze the lake to go ice-skating in the middle of summer. Raven is the one to deliver the lecture, and she sounds so responsible to her own ears that afterwards she announces that she's on break and goes to find Armando.

"Let's go visit your boyfriend," she suggests. "I need to get out of here before I start randomly orating to six-year-olds about the beauty of harmonious mutant relations." This is something Charles actually does to unsuspecting children. (Thankfully, his last victim was Ororo, who just smiled and nodded and said, "You have pretty hair!" when Charles was done.)

"We're not dating," Armando reminds her, but closes his book and gets up from the picnic table anyway. "It's sort of a... romantic friendship thing."

"You know Alex isn't into any of that New Age crap, he's just literally too stupid to figure out his life," Raven says. "I don't know why you put up with it."

"Nice shoulders and a secret marshmallow," Armando says easily. "Can't ask for anything more. Besides, you know Alex has his own stuff going on. He'll say something when he wants to." Raven envies his ability to just let it all roll off his back, she truly does. The only time she's ever seen Armando lose his cool was years ago, when some teenage locals harassed one of their campers to the point of tears. After Armando single-handedly pushed their car into a ditch, they were very apologetic.

They hike their way to the opposite side of the lake without much effort, despite the stifling heat and humidity. One of the benefits to Raven going blue was increased stamina and physical strength. She could probably stand a fighting chance in a race against Armando until his mutation finished kicking in, not that she's ever been able to stand running. What's the point when you're not running to get anywhere?

"Password," Azazel croaks as they approach him, because he thinks he's hilarious.

Armando is actually prepared with a Russian "your mom" joke, because that's just the kind of person he is. Azazel laughs and waves them on. Erik happens to be nearby and starts toward them with something like a smile. Then, realizing Charles isn't with them, he rounds on a nearby camper and starts shouting at him. It's a move so classically Erik that Raven bursts out laughing.

"What's the joke?" Like magic, Angel rounds the corner, holding hands with a tiny little girl, bundled up to a ridiculous extent despite the heat. She waves. "Hey there, strangers. Say hello, Marie."

"'Lo," the little girl squeaks out, then flees toward the nearest cabin.

Angel watches her departure and heaves a sigh. Raven does _not_ watch the rise and fall of her cleavage, because most of the kids at Brotherhood--most of the kids at both camps, really--have heartbreaking origin stories. "I'm amazed she hung out with me for that long. Her power has to do with touch. Normally the only one she lets near her is her social worker."

"I told you you'd be great at this," Armando says, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "You're a natural here, you're gonna be a natural at your future career."

"Are you in college?" Raven asks, then flushes at the awe she hears in her own voice. Great, now Angel will think that she's a little kid.

"Applying," Angel says. "I got bounced around a lot in my last year of high school, threw off my initial graduating plans." She ducks her head, looking shy all of a sudden. "I want to be a dance therapist. I know it sounds like a made up career, but you'd be amazed by how much it helps people. It's why I moved to New York City."

"That's awesome," Raven says, and means it. She's not cut out for a career devoted to helping people, and she admires those who are. Raven likes helping out at camp well enough, but by the end of the four weeks, she's always ready for camp to be over. Kids are her thing only in small doses, unless they're Scott and Jean, who are practically people by now, or Ororo, whose cuteness defies all natural proclivities.

"What do you think you want to do?" Angel asks, which is the inevitable follow-up question. Raven should have known better than to ask.

"I don't know," she admits. What Raven wants to do with her life is in a constant state of flux, along with her appearance and her tastebuds and her sexuality. She has no idea whether it's part of her mutation or if she's just indecisive. "Sometimes I think about acting, but is it really fair when I can change my face?"

"I take out my wings for any kind of dancing or yoga," Angel says, touching Raven's arm. Her fingertips are pleasantly cool in the humidity. "The balance is off otherwise."

Raven blinks away the brief prickle of tears, always close to the surface these days, and smiles at Angel for far too long a period of time. Angel doesn't move her hand, though, and her mouth, beautiful even without the lipstick, is curved into a matching smile.

"Well," Armando says, and Raven starts. She'd forgotten he was there. "Look who found me."

The hurt is familiar enough to be something of a comfort as Raven watches Armando and Alex greet each other from across the campsite, at first with just their eyes, then with an embrace when they're finally close enough. Charles and Erik look at each other in a way that's all-consuming and terrifying; Armando and Alex look at each other like they've finally come home.

"They're sweet," Angel says. "How did they meet?"

Raven shakes off the envy and launches into the story, because the sullen courtship rituals of Alex Summers have to be heard to be believed, and they're _hilarious._

*

Raven and Armando head back to camp far too late, and Raven groans, knowing that Fury will stick them on the worst camp duties he can tomorrow. (Technically, Fury goes by "Nick" at camp, but no one ever calls him that aside from Moira. The man is _always_ furious, even while smiling and covered in marshmallow and melted chocolate from a rogue s'more.) She's usually the one to keep track of time while the lovers are busy staring into each other's eyes or whatever, but this time she was busy nursing a hopeless crush. She managed to find out that Angel is single, but had a boyfriend a few years ago, when she lived in Los Angeles. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but crushed hopes are the worst ache of all, so Raven avoids them.

As they start up the path that winds around the lake, Raven, in an effort to distract herself from endless ruminations over whether Angel even likes her as a friend, asks, "Don't _you_ ever bring dating up? Why is it just Alex's feelings that matter?"

"It's not just Alex's feelings." Even concentrating on avoiding the roots and rocks on the path, Raven can feel the look Armando's directing at her. "Since you're being so nosy, you better be prepared for some personal questions in return."

"My personal life has nothing happening in it," Raven replies, schooling her face into her best neutral expression.

"Guess I was just imagining those sparks flying, then." Armando sticks his hands in his pockets and starts whistling "Camptown Races," because he is secretly the worst.

"Sparks?" Raven asks. "Like, more than one person sparks? Armando! You have to tell me right now!"

"But I have to answer your question first," Armando says, batting his eyelashes. "Otherwise it would be _rude_."

"I'm going to leave you in the woods to die," Raven informs him. "You say you can adapt to anything, but I doubt your mutation can handle a bear biting off your head."

Armando chuckles, then rubs the back of his neck with one hand, face growing serious. "I've never asked because you know how Alex is about family. He spent so damn long trying to be in the same state as Scott, and all the paperwork to make him Scott's legal guardian is still coming through. I can't move as long as I'm still in school. Alex and Scott can't just pack up and leave Illinois, but you know Alex would do it for a boyfriend." This time, Armando's chuckle is bitter. "Doubt a state where I can't even marry him would give Alex custody after that."

Raven has to stop to give him a hug, Fury's wrath be damned. "That sucks. I didn't realize you were that serious."

"You grow up fast when you don't have a lot of people. You know how it is."

She does know, and squeezes Armando tighter in response. _It's not fair_ seems to be the constant refrain of her summer so far; for once, she feels sorry for someone other than herself. She should have put the pieces together, but was too busy joking with everyone else about when Alex would finally clue in.

The rest of the walk back to camp is quiet. Raven turns over the injustices of the mutant foster care system in her head, angry all over again that Scott and Alex were separated for five years, that Erik still has nightmares about a man named Shaw, that the rate of trauma is so high that the Department of Mutant Youth Services has to recruit social workers who are high level telepaths or empaths or practically immortal. They've actually used Charles as a "consultant" on a few cases when Logan or Emma Frost weren't available.

That leads her back to Angel Salvadore, the sweet, beautiful girl who spoke so casually about the system screwing mutants over. There's a story behind her words. Raven could ask Armando about it, but he would just tell her to ask Angel. She does want to ask, but why on earth would Angel want to talk about such a sensitive subject? She seems so nice, so nice that Raven can't even tell whether Angel actually likes her or if she's just that way with everyone.

"I like Angel a lot," Armando says, as if he's the telepath, not her brother. "She's getting certified to teach in my yoga studio, she's that good. Really serious about the dance therapy thing. I think she digs you, girl."

"No one says 'digs' anymore," Raven says, and then his words register. "She _does_? Like, as in _likes_ me likes me?"

God, she is a walking teenage embarrassment.

"Think so," Armando says with a grin. "Get it, girl. I don't like seeing you so lonely."

The path under their feet changes to the steady crunch of gravel, but Raven swears that she's walking on air.

*

Of course, it's hard to "get it, girl" after Fury reams them out for abandoning their posts and sentences them to bathroom cleaning and dish duty for the foreseeable future. He uses a lot of words like "responsibility" and "commitment" and "trust" and "I expected more from you." The damnedest thing is, they actually make Raven feel guilty. She scrubs the first toilet with actual penitence before she goes back to feeling like the world is conspiring against her.

On their third straight day of dish duty, Armando dries a plate with a mournful sigh and says, "This is the last time I decide to have a midday quickie instead of waiting until dark."

"Ew!" Raven shrieks. "I did _not_ need to know that. Oh my God, I have to wash my whole brain now."

"Well, there's a big sink right here."

It takes another day for Fury to relent, and Raven suspects it's only because the campers are getting bored of endless crafts and nature hikes. She and Armando are the rough and tumble counselors who keep the kids running around until they're too exhausted to stay awake past dinner. They mostly use their powers for good, but also to ensure the only people sneaking off in the night are the counselors.

There are precious few opportunities to sneak off between games of double dutch and TV tag and all the preparation for upcoming activities, though. Raven has plenty of time to mull over Armando's words, questioning everything from Armando's judgment (usually flawless) to the likelihood of screwing everything up (definitely high). What if Angel has second thoughts about liking a girl with blue skin? What if she's secretly one of those weird mutant fetishists? What if she thinks that Raven is awkward and directionless and odd, all of which are true? What if they have nothing to talk about? What if Angel _only_ wants to talk and doesn't want to kiss her?

It gets so bad that at lunch, Jean puts down her sandwich, pats Raven on the shoulder, and says, " _I_ think you're pretty."

"Oh my God," Raven says, and goes to find Charles.

Charles is the world's worst telepath as far as "actually understanding how people work" goes, but Raven still trusts him more than anyone else. (That's one of the reasons she keeps coming back to camp, actually--camp showed her that there was more than one person in the world that she _could_ trust.) She and Charles have managed everything from first crushes to handling their stepfather together; they can definitely handle Raven's neuroses about her love life. She's counseled him through enough sessions of "but long distance is hard, Raven, it's so hard and it's _terrible_ " that he owes her some soothing of teenage insecurities.

"I like someone," she announces without preamble as she walks into Charles's cabin, then has to throw up a hand to shield her eyes. "How did you get sunburned there?"

"You don't want to know," Charles says darkly, setting down his enormous bottle of aloe. "What's this about liking someone?"

"I don't know if she likes me back," Raven says. She settles down next to Charles on the bed and hands him his shorts.

Right on cue, Charles replies, "That's nonsense. Anyone lucky enough to have your affections must reciprocate them." Empty platitudes, sure, but they come straight from his big brother heart. Raven takes his bottle of aloe and squirts some on her hands, rubbing it into his bright pink back. "Is it Angel? She's the only new person your age I can think of. Please tell me it's her. Erik likes her and she's much nicer than that boy who likes to light everything on fire."

"It's Angel," Raven confirms. "She lives in the city! We could actually be a real thing, if I ever get to see her again."

"Camp does make one's love life difficult," Charles says with a rueful look at his sunburn. "She's your partner for the cross-camp bonding week, though, isn't she? You'll definitely see her at the meeting tomorrow, and then every day of the week after that."

What happens next is not one of Raven's more dignified moments. " _How do you talk to girls?_ " she hisses urgently. "I don't know! I've never tried except that time I kissed Miranda Pomeroy behind the bleachers!"

Charles blinks. "Well, you talk to her about the things she likes, and the things you both like, and then you just..." He makes a vague hand gesture. "You can talk to anybody, Raven. I'm sure it will all work out."

"Oh, well, if _that's_ your big secret," Raven says with as much sarcasm as possible, but keeps rubbing aloe into her brother's sunburn anyway. At least one of the Xavier siblings is getting some on the regular, even if it's not the sibling she'd prefer.

*

The cross-camp bonding meeting starts off with a loud argument between Moira and Fury about the logistics of keeping a ghost story night suitable for all ages and not terrifying for everyone under the age of ten. Raven oh so casually seats herself next to Angel, who is watching the pair scream at each other in rapt silence.

"Do you want to be up all night explaining to small children why no one with a hook for a hand is coming for them? Do you?!" bellows Fury, tugging at his eyepatch. It's what he does instead of pull at his hair, since he has none.

"All the little ones fall asleep before story time, you know that!" Moira shouts right back. "You just want the talent show reinstated! Do you remember the explosions three years ago? Do you really want a repeat?"

"The scary thing is that this is their foreplay," Erik mutters, offering them a bag of potato chips. Raven accepts and then passes the bag to Angel. Their fingers brush and Raven shoves her hand back on her lap, hoping her blue skin hides the blood rushing to her face.

"What was that, Lehnsherr?" Moira asks, whirling on him.

"I want to be her when I grow up," Angel says, watching as Moira tears into Erik, then turns her wrath back to Fury. "Is that weird?"

"We all want to be Moira," Raven says. "I mean, the alternative is a bald guy with an eyepatch." That wins her a laugh. "So hey, we're supposed to pick an activity to lead together. Do you have any ideas? Last year I did a jump rope tournament with Sean, but I promised him he could steal the idea this year."

"Too bad. I love jump rope." Angel pauses, her forehead wrinkling in thought. It's adorable. "A yoga class, maybe? Our activity takes place right after rest period, and you know everyone will still be waking up."

"I don't know anything about yoga," Raven confesses. "Not that your idea is bad, I mean!"

"Oh, I can teach you the program I want to use!" Angel beams. "It's called animal yoga and it's modified for kids. The poses are all named after different animals." She stands up and leans over to one side, stretching her fingertips toward the ground. "This one is the giraffe. My arm is the neck, see?"

"I do," Raven says, who is concentrating harder on the way that Angel's shirt rides up, revealing a smooth strip of brown skin. "That's, um, a great idea. You should definitely teach me the rest of the positions."

While the rest of the counselors break into small groups to plan different activities, Angel leads Raven through a series of poses, all named after animals as promised. They're pretty cute, especially when Angel demonstrates the snake pose, which includes actual hissing. Raven copies her perfectly on the first try; one of the benefits to her mutation is that she can mimic anything, including movement.

"You're a natural!" Angel exclaims, and Raven basks in the warmth of her praise. "I think you could handle actual yoga poses easy. Is strength part of your mutation?"

"Yeah, but only when I'm in my natural form. Look like a regular human, have regular human strength."

Angel nods, biting her lower lip. "I don't even think we'll need the extra planning session tonight. We're set."

"We could still hang out?" Raven replies instantly, hating the way her voice rises on the last word, turning her suggestion into a question. "I'd like, um, I'd like to get to know you better. All my friends here are boys."

"Boys are no fun," Angel says, smile back in place. "I'd love to hang out later. Did you want to come here, or...?"

"The stargazing rock," Raven says, running quickly through her mental list of all the places she and Charles (or Charles and Erik) like to sneak off to. "If you walk the path halfway between the camps, I can meet you there and show you where it is."

"Cool," Angel says. "I'm gonna grab some more chips, okay? Be right back."

Raven seizes the opportunity to find Erik and pry him out of her brother's grip for thirty seconds. "I know you have your car here," she says, not bothering with hello. Erik hates people who make small talk before asking for a favor. "I need you to drive me to the liquor store and we have to be back by sunset."

"Payback?" Erik asks, not even questioning what she wants the alcohol for or saying stupid things like _but that's illegal_.

"I'll cover one of Charles's night patrols. You're on your own for getting whatever you have to do covered."

Erik holds out a hand. "Deal."

*

Six hours later, Raven has a bottle of passion fruit flavored rum in her backpack and a heart that could win the Kentucky Derby, it's racing so hard. What if Angel doesn't come? What if she thinks that stargazing is stupid? What if she saw Raven's offer for the transparent ploy it was and thinks Raven is a total loser? What if she gets bitten by a mosquito and gets malaria? (Raven hasn't had a mosquito bite since she decided to go blue; she's forgotten how they work beyond Charles constantly complaining about them.)

"Hey," Angel says, rounding a twist in the path. She has those indecent denim shorts on again, as well as one of those silky tops that tie on, revealing the entire expanse of her back. Raven wipes her hands on her skirt and wishes she had brought something sexier than a tank top with Smurfette on the front, Charles's admittedly awesome gift to celebrate her first year of going blue.

"The stargazing rock is this way," Raven says, indicating the faint path in the grass, already next to impossible to see in the deepening twilight. "It's easy to get lost unless you've walked the path a million times in the daylight. Charles and I used to go here whenever we couldn't sleep."

"I'm jealous of you guys," Angel says, but she sounds soft, wistful; none of the harsher tone Raven would associate with jealousy. "This place is so special to me already. I wish I'd gone here when I was little."

"Camp's the best," Raven agrees, and takes Angel's hand so she doesn't trip over the brambles blocking part of the path. Her heart starts beating faster when Angel doesn't let go once they're past the brambles. Raven's mouth feels the need to keep pace with her heart and she starts babbling about all the times she's fallen here, including the time she broke her wrist falling out of a tree, not that camp is dangerous or anything, she was just a stupid kid who was always in trouble.

Angel squeezes her hand and says, "I know how that goes."

When they reach the stargazing rock, Angel whispers, " _Oh,_ " and looks up to the already spectacular view, though the moon has only just risen above the tops of the trees. She drops Raven's hand to climb onto the rock, seating herself cross-legged with her head tilted all the way back to take in the huge, starry sky overhead. Raven joins her, stretching out her legs to let the warmth from the rock, still sun-warm, seep into her bones. It's beautiful out here, so beautiful she could even appreciate it alone, but instead she's here with a gorgeous girl.

_Sometimes life is fair,_ Raven decides, giving the stars a wink. A few blink back, which she takes as a sign to unzip her backpack. "I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if I brought an adult beverage." She sets the bottle of rum down with a clink, then roots through her bag with an abrupt rush of horror. "Sorry, I swear I had a mixer in here, too..."

"It's cool, this stuff is basically juice for grown-ups," Angel says, unscrewing the top of the bottle with a few practiced twists. "I'm okay with just passing the bottle if you are. Thanks, by the way."

"No problem," Raven says, watching Angel take a long swig straight from the bottle. This girl is making her appreciate body parts she never even notices, like necks. The booze will help with the panicked sensation that Angel is way, way too cool for her, right?

Raven's not a big party girl, nor does she ever want to become her mother, who needs a stiff drink before she can even face breakfast, but she does appreciate the way a few gulps of rum ease the tension in her chest. Soon she's giggling as she and Angel trade waitressing horror stories, their shoulders brushing as they sway closer together, moved by the force of their laughter and the stars overhead.

"It's like, I don't even need to put up with the customers' crap, but I need to get out of the house, especially now that Charles is in school in Boston," Raven says. Her next swallow doesn't burn at all on the way down, which means that she should lay off the rum for a bit. She takes another little sip just in case the swallow gets lonely.

"I spent a little time in L.A. working for a strip club," Angel says, taking the bottle. "Sometimes I think it was more dignified. Can't wait until I have my certification and I can just work full-time for Armando's studio."

"Oh," Raven says, because she can't think of a good reply to that admission. Then, worried that Angel will think she's judging her, asks, "How old were you? Wasn't that illegal?"

"Yup," Angel says. Her smile is still in place, amazingly enough, but it's turned sad. "Ran away after watching my stepdad beat the shit out of my mom one too many times. Didn't want to turn tricks, so I got a fake driver's license and started stripping. Emma, I'm sure you know Emma Frost, she's the one who found me. Put me in the system. I hated her for a while, but it did get me to New York City after a while. Moira helped me out."

"The whole system is fucked," Raven says, drunk enough now to forget the rules of etiquette her mother drilled into her head. "My stepdad used to hit my brother. I've never been happier to go to a funeral."

"Fuck those guys," Angel agrees. "Mine's still out there."

"I'd throw him in jail for you." Raven rests her head on Angel's shoulder, daring now. Her hair smells good. "I'm not good with kids the way so many of the counselors are, but this place still makes me want to do something for the mutant cause, you know? I could--I don't know, I could make laws against abuse that actually work."

"You totally could," Angel says, and turns her head to face Raven. Her eyes are deep, still pools in the faint light of the stars. "You're smart. And you're really pretty."

Raven opens her mouth to say _so are you_ , but no sound comes out. Instead, she finds herself leaning further forward, lips just barely touching Angel's. Sparks, that's what Armando meant by sparks, because it feels like every nerve in her body has moved to her lips, and every touch throws fire across the scant space between them. Angel makes a soft sound and Raven reaches for her hand, pressing closer in the night. The kiss stretches on and on, all liquid warmth with the occasional nip of teeth, until Raven thinks she might die from it.

"Wow," Angel says, drawing back for a moment, and then, "Come here." She lowers Raven gently against the rock, and then there's a soft rushing sound that Raven recognizes as her wings unfolding when they spread wide, catching the starlight. "I've never kissed anyone with my wings out," Angel confesses, poised above Raven.

"They're amazing," Raven says. "You're amazing. Everything is amazing. I've had a lot of rum."

"Then just kissing tonight," Angel says with a giggle.

"Sure," Raven agrees, reaching for the strings holding Angel's top in place. They come apart easily and her top falls across Raven's thigh. She leans up and kisses the dip in Angel's collarbone. "That's just kissing." Kisses her right breast. "And that." And then her left breast. "And that."

"Um," Angel says, and then laughs again. Raven loves how much she laughs; it's all the more special, knowing how hard her life has been. "Are you comfortable like this? The rock isn't too hard? Because I have an idea."

"I'm good," Raven says, and then Angel proceeds to make her very, very thankful that she opted for a skirt tonight.

The world, it seems, is about as fair as it needs to be.


End file.
